DIY Holiday Gifts Promote Creative Free Play and Non-Commercial Holiday Celebrations

Allowing for lots of creative free play and gift-giving that comes from the heart, handmade gifts get at the heart of the season! Families can engage in DIY projects at home, attend upcoming workshops, or utilize resources offered by local arts organizations to craft handmade gifts with love.

The holidays are upon us, and with the approach of a season of light, kindness, and appreciation of one another comes the need for giving – the sharing of gifts of all sizes serving as representation for our love and gratitude for each other. With the holidays comes an onslaught of commercialism, encouraging us to buy gifts rather than create them with love. In order to celebrate a non-commercial holiday season, families can commit to sharing appreciation for others during the holiday season by making handmade items for loved ones. Handmade gifts not only reflect the emotions behind them, but allow young creators to engage in creative free play, and provide an alternative to consumption by creating opportunities for creative reuse of items!

Gift-givers of all ages can find a treasure trove of DIY gift ideas in our archives, covering everything from scented ornaments and cards to planters and terrariums – even giftwrap is included! Archived highlights include:

• Holiday Cinnamon Ornaments
• Christmas Spider Cards
• Hand-bound Journals
• Literrarium Story Terrariums
• Repurposed Paperwhite Planters
• Eco-friendly Gift Wrapping
• Needle-Felting and Bottletop Magnets
• Simple Toys

In addition to engaging in gift-producing creative free play at home, families can take advantage of community-based gift-making resources and upcoming events in order to learn new creative skills and craft new treasures. To discover opportunities in Western MA, be sure to subscribe to our weekly eNewsletter!